The Mark
by Aranel Rine
1. The Mark

Chapter 1

The Mark

Disclaimer – This is J K Rowlings – Not mine!!

A/N – Thanks to Abforth! Please Read and Review!!

The candles shed a flickering golden light on the walls, creating dancing shadows in the corners of the large room. Footsteps echoed on the flagstones as a tall figure shrouded in black moved to the centre of the floor where a second shadow waited in a carved mahogany chair.

"Well?" The voice from the chair was like a blast of Arctic wind, cold and cruel, male, yet strangely high-pitched.

"I'm sorry, master. It is true," answered the standing figure, also male.

The man in the chair hissed sharply. Clearly this was not good news.

"Well," the cold voice said again after a moment's silence "he has betrayed us. I confess myself disappointed – he was always one of my more devoted servants. But what to do about him, Lucius? He must be punished, of course, but perhaps I can persuade him to reconsider?"

"My lord!" exclaimed Lucius "Surely not"

"Severus would be a great loss to us, Lucius. Perhaps if the temptation were removed…he would see what a mistake he has made…how weak and stupid these Muggles are. He would return to us. What is the woman's name?"

"Elizabeth Glenn, my lord," replied Lucius "but it is more complicated than that…"

"Why?"

"There is a child. A girl – eighteen months old,"

"Eighteen months!" The man in the chair hissed again, standing up suddenly. His hood fell back, revealing his face - pale, almost white, with red eyes and a flat, snake-like nose. "This has been going on for longer than I thought…" He frowned.

"Perhaps it is more than an illicit love affair – perhaps he has been passing information as well…?" Lucius ventured.

"No. He wouldn't be so foolish. Kill the Muggle and the child – he will soon see sense,"

"And if he doesn't?"

"He will. And yet…" He paused, frowning again. Then he smiled "Do you know, I have had a change of heart. The child will be spared,"

"The half-breed, my lord? But why?" Lucius was shocked.

"Half-breed? You use the term rashly," This time the cold voice was soft and dangerous.

"My lord! I did not mean – I forgot that - " Lucius stuttered, panicking.

"Forgot? If only I could so easily forget my parentage. But that is not the point. I will keep the child and raise her as one of us…Just imagine, I will finally have servant totally devoted to me – untouched by conscience, or guilt, or fear…and Severus will return to us to ensure his daughter's safety. Why, it would be like having a daughter of my own!" He chuckled softly "How fitting; one half-breed raising another…"

"But - " Lucius interrupted.

"But nothing," snapped the cold voice "you will see to it. Do not fail me…go now – kill the Muggle and put the Mark on the child's arm before you bring her back."

"Yes, my lord," Lucius bowed and turned to leave. Just as he reached the door, the cold voice called to him:

"Oh, and Lucius, if you get this right, your efforts will not go unrewarded… and if you fail, you will wish you hadn't,"

Lucius swallowed nervously, bowed again, and vanished. For a moment, the candlelight illuminated the face of the man standing in the middle of the room. He smiled thoughtfully; watching the door, then sank back into the shadows of the chair. Waiting.

*          *          *

Elizabeth yawned and looked at the clock on the wall. It was five-thirty, and the sky outside the nursery window was already lightening to grey, although it was a couple of hours yet till dawn. She might still be able to get some sleep. She tiptoed to the door, trying not to wake her daughter, who was sleeping peacefully in her cot. Just as Elizabeth's hand reached for the door handle, she heard the creak of a floorboard out on the landing. She froze, listening intently. There was no other sound except her heart beating and the soft breathing of the baby in the cot. She started to relax, but then she heard another noise – the squeak of her bedroom door. Elizabeth backed away quietly, moving towards the bedside cabinet and opening the top drawer.

"Where is it?" she thought desperately as she searched the drawer. She heard a swishing noise just outside the nursery, and then the door handle began to turn. The door opened just as Elizabeth's hand closed on cool metal, and she looked up sharply to see a tall black silhouette standing silently, his face covered by the hood of his cloak.

"Severus? Elizabeth whispered, but she knew it wasn't her husband even before she said it. The figure took a step inside the room, raising his hand. In the same instant, Elizabeth jerked the gun out from behind her back and aimed it at the figure's head. But she never fired it. Before her finger could begin to pull back the trigger, the intruder had cried "_Avada kedavra!_" A blast of green fire issued from the wand in his hand. Elizabeth crumpled to the floor with a thud. The gun slipped from her fingers.

The murderer stepped forward towards the cot, where the baby had woken and was crying loudly. Lucius pulled back the blankets and took hold of the girl's left arm. He put the tip of his wand against the skin of the baby's forearm.

"_Morsmordre!_" He cried, but as he did someone dived on him from behind and his wand jerked sideways. A small burst of black power erupted from the wand and hit the baby's torso. Lucius crashed to the floor, his attacker on top of him, trying to snatch the wand from his hand. Lucius aimed a kick at his opponent's stomach, at the same time firing a Stunning spell from his wand. The spell missed and ricocheted off the ceiling, but the kick worked. Lucius crawled backwards across the floor and tried to stand, but his rival recovered quickly and lunged for him.

Lucius looked up into the face of Severus Snape, fellow Death Eater and the man whose wife he had just murdered. Snape's features were twisted in a mixture of fury and grief as he closed his hands around Lucius' throat. Lucius, choking, raised his wand to defend himself. Before he could cast a spell, however, Snape had loosened his grip, lifting one hand to pull away the hood still covering Lucius' face. Lucius seized the opportunity and pushed, at the same time directing another kick at Snape's stomach. Snape was flung across the floor; Lucius scrambled to his feet and with one last desperate glance at the baby, he Disapparated.

The screams from the cot had reached a crescendo. Snape stood up painfully and went to pick up his daughter. As he lifted her into his arms, he noticed the mark on her side, and inhaled sharply. It looked like a tattoo – a skull with a snake for a tongue, hideously black against the pink flesh. Snape knew that it could never be removed – it was burned permanently into her skin, just as the identical mark on his own arm would scar him for life.

Snape turned slowly, cradling the crying baby in his arms, and knelt on the floor beside his wife's body. Tears streamed silently down his face. After a moment a voice spoke:

"Severus,"

Snape looked up quickly. Albus Dumbledore had Apparated soundlessly and was watching him, his normally lively blue eyes filled with sorrow.

"I was too late," Snape whispered, "I couldn't save her,"

"I'm sorry," said Dumbledore "I came as soon as I could."

"It's not your fault," Snape answered hoarsely "_I_ should have been here. She was my wife!"

"But you saved your daughter," Dumbledore replied softly.

"Because it wasn't him! You think she'd still be here if it had been him?" Snape shouted "He sent one of the others. He didn't even have the guts to come himself!"

There was a pause. Dumbledore studied Snape's face intently for a moment, and then asked,

"Did you see who it was?"

"No," Snape replied bitterly "the coward didn't show his face. He Disapparated before you got here."

"But he will come back," Dumbledore pointed out "if not tonight, then tomorrow. If he had orders to kill them both - "

"He didn't," Snape said, suddenly "he was going to take Cassie back with him. He put the Mark on her. Why would he do that? What does the Dark Lord want with my daughter?"

"Whatever reason he has, she's not safe here. We should leave – _now_," Dumbledore said urgently "we can take her to her godparents – they'll hide her. Unless Lord Voldemort knows about them, too…?"

Snape shook his head "He couldn't,"

"Then we'll take her there. We can figure out how to protect _you_ afterwards,"

*          *          *

 It was some hours later when Severus Snape finally left the house of David and Emily Jones. He had said goodbye to Cassandra, not knowing when, or if, he would ever see her again.

Dumbledore was waiting outside.

"I've already done the Abrouillius spell. No magic done inside the house can be detected. From outside it will look just like any other Muggle home, and no witch or wizard will be able to enter without a direct invitation from someone living there. That includes you and me," he added.

Snape nodded silently.

"Why don't you go and get some rest," Dumbledore suggested "we've done all we can."

Snape stared fixedly at the house for a moment, and then said softly, "I'll find him you know. I'll find out who it was," His black eyes glittered for a moment, and then he turned and disappeared into the night.

Dumbledore watched him leave. He didn't know that only a few hours later, several hundred miles away, his help would be needed again, for a very similar task. Another baby, one with a lightning-bolt shaped cut on his forehead, would also have to be left with a Muggle family. It was going to be a very busy night.


	2. Have You Met Miss Jones?

OK, here it is, chapter 2 at last! Sorry it took so long!

A/N Everything Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling, of course. Only Cassie and the Abrouillius spell are mine. The chapter title, 'Have you met Miss Jones?' is from the song by Rogers and Hart, sung by Frank Sinatra (and recently Robbie Williams).

Big thanks to my beta, Abforth, and to Lady Laura, hellsong and Lady Rien from Morg for their reviews!

Chapter 2

Have You Met Miss Jones?

Fifteen-year-old Cassandra Jones blew a lock of night-black hair out of her eyes and tried to get a better grip on her trunk.

"Why do I have to have so much damn stuff?" She thought as she attempted to heave the large wooden chest onto the train. It was September the first, and Cassandra was at Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters, boarding the Hogwarts Express for the first time. Unlike the other new students, however, she would not be in the first year – she would be a fifth-year, doing her O.W.L.s. The thought scared her somewhat – having been at a Muggle secondary school since she was eleven, Cassandra had only learnt magic at home, safely hidden by the Abrouillius spell. She'd had no contact with any witches or wizards, except for her father and Professor Dumbledore.

"Dammit!" Cassandra swore as the trunk slipped from her grasp and crashed down the steps of the train. At the last minute someone grabbed it and prevented it from hitting the platform. Cassandra looked up into a pair of startlingly green eyes framed by round spectacles. They belonged to a handsome boy, about Cassandra's age, with messy dark hair.

"Thanks," Cassandra said, smiling shyly.

"No problem," the boy answered, grinning back "I had the same problem when I first came here,"

"What's the solution?"

"Wait till your friends show up so they can help you,"

"Oh, well, I'd be waiting for quite a while, then! I don't have any friends. Yet. I'm new," Cassie explained. Her heart was beating madly – nerves, she told herself. The boy had a very nice smile.

"New?" He said, surprised "You're not a first-year?"

"No! I'm a fifth-year – I've transferred from an American school because my parents moved back here,"

"So you lived in England before?"

"Yeah, until I was eleven. I got the letter for Hogwarts, but my parents had already arranged to move to New Jersey because of my dad's job. So I went to school there instead," Cassie cringed inwardly at the blatant lie. The boy seemed so nice – but nobody must know the truth about who she was.

"My dad's job again – he was promoted to be the head of the office here," This, at least, was partly true – David Jones had indeed been promoted.

"What does he do?"

"Something to do with computers – software maintenance or whatever – I never really understood it," she smiled "and my mum is a teacher – she got her old job back at the local primary school."

"So they're both Muggles then?"

"Yes – why?" Cassie asked warily "That's not a problem, is it? 'Cause-"

"No, of course not!" The boy said quickly "I live with Muggles too – one of my best friends is Muggle-born. I know some people have a problem with it, but-"

"Yeah, I know. Sorry, I wasn't accusing you or anything. Really," Cassie smiled again.

"It's OK," He said, smiling back, his green eyes meeting her lavender ones. Cassie felt herself beginning to blush. She was saved from embarrassment, however, by a voice shouting:

"Hey! Harry!"

The boy she was talking to turned around.

"Ron!" He shouted back, grinning, as a gangly redheaded boy approached them, carrying a cage with a tiny owl inside.

"Hermione's just coming – she's saying goodbye to her parents," Ron said, "Shut up, Pig!" This last remark seemed to be directed at the owl, which was hooting madly.

"I see Pig's as barmy as ever," Harry said.

"He's been driving me up the wall!" Ron admitted "Speaking of owls, where's Hedwig?"

"She's taking a letter to S-my godfather," Harry explained, glancing at Cassie. Ron raised his eyebrows, about to ask who she was, when a girl with bushy brown hair came up to them and stood next to Ron.

"Hiya!" She said brightly. She was wearing her school robes, and had a silver letter 'P' pinned to the front of them.

"Hermione, you're a Prefect!" Harry said, noticing the badge.

"Yes!" She said proudly "I got an extra letter with my supplies list and it had this inside!"

"Don't congratulate her!" Ron warned "She's already starting to sound like Percy!"

"Oh shut up, Ron!" Hermione said. She noticed Cassie, and added "Hello! I haven't seen you before. Are you new?"

Cassie nodded.

"She was just telling me – she's moved back here from America," Harry told them "but I'm sorry - I never asked your name!"

"Cassandra Jones," She said "everyone calls me Cassie."

"Harry Potter," He replied, and in the same instant, Cassie spotted the lightning-bolt scar on his forehead. So this was the boy her father detested so much. She could have kicked herself – why hadn't she realized who he was before?

"…and this is Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger," Harry continued.

"Nice to meet you," Hermione said politely.

"Same here," Ron smiled.

"We'd better get on the train," Hermione pointed out "you'll sit with us, won't you, Cassie?" Cassie nodded her agreement, and as they looked for an empty compartment, Harry filled Ron and Hermione in on everything Cassie had told him about herself. 

"My parents are both Muggles too," Hermione said as they sat down "it's not exactly the best time to be moving back to England – not with everything that's been happening these last few months. I don't suppose you've heard, living in America, but-"

"I've heard," Cassie told her quietly "bad news like Voldemort gets around."

Ron winced as she said the name "Not another one! You're as bad as Harry! Why can't you say You-Know-Who?"

"Sorry, I didn't know," The truth was, Cassie did know. She knew all about Voldemort and his return, and that was why she was moving to Hogwarts – to be protected. After Voldemort's downfall, she had remained in hiding, in case someone still loyal to him decided to come after her. But with his return, she was no longer safe in the Muggle community, and her father had insisted upon the transfer to Hogwarts. There she would be under the protection of her godfather, Albus Dumbledore, and of course her father himself. They had invented the "American school" cover story in the hope that the majority of students, at least, would not be suspicious. She could not hope to hide from Voldemort forever, but once she was at Hogwarts, he couldn't get to her.

"It's OK, ignore him. There's nothing wrong with saying Voldemort's name," Harry assured her. He was sitting opposite her, and Cassie noticed again how good-looking he was. She suddenly felt very self-conscious about her appearance. She knew she had flat, lifeless hair and a little too much puppy fat, but it had never bothered her before. She found herself wishing she had taken more care choosing her outfit, instead of just throwing on her flares and her lucky pink t-shirt.

They spent the journey chatting about their holidays. Harry, Ron and Hermione told her about Hogwarts and the four houses, explaining that they were all in Gryffindor. Cassie was asked a great many questions about America, which she answered by making stuff up, using things she'd seen in films and American TV programmes. She threw in a few American phrases for good measure, and when the witch came round with the trolley at lunchtime, she made sure she bought 'chips' and 'cookies' rather than 'crisps' and 'biscuits'. She was doing very well until the late afternoon, when Ron asked:

"So, what's your favourite subject?"

"Oh, Potions, definitely," Cassie replied.

Harry and Ron looked at her as if she was mad.

"_Why?_" Ron asked

"Because…" Cassie began, unsure. How to explain why she loved Potions? How to explain the thrill she felt as she stirred the cauldron as the shimmering fumes filled the air, swirling and coiling about her like an escaped genie. How to describe the sensation of pleasure as she trickled the ingredients through her fingers, knowing they would be changed into something else, something knew, something _more_. Because that's what potion-making was – a method of changing something ordinary, mundane, into the extraordinary. With Transfiguration and Charm-work, all you did was use the magic inherent in the core of your wand, in the phoenix feather or unicorn hair. You were simply borrowing magic. By mixing a potion, you were creating it. What came out of the cauldron was greater than the sum of the parts that went in.

"…because, it's like the potion is part of you, you know, it's sort of coming from inside you, and you can, like, feel it taking shape. Um. I just like it," she finished lamely.

"Well you aren't going to like it much longer, I can tell you," said Ron "if anyone can put you off Potions, it's Professor Snape."

"Really?" said Cassie cautiously "Why?"

"He's just nasty," Harry told her, "he hates everyone, except the Slytherins. He's head of Slytherin house."

"Nasty! That's putting it mildly," Ron exclaimed, "he's a nightmare! He lets the Slytherins get away with murder, but he's really mean to everyone else. Honestly, he's so horrible, and that's not all, he used to be-"

"Ron!" Hermione hissed, a warning look in her eyes.

"He's just really mean," Harry finished quickly.

Cassie looked at each of them in turn. She was a little worried – she knew her father was a very strict teacher, but she hadn't realized he was so unpopular. And did they know he used to be a Death Eater? She had thought no-one knew…

At that moment, the door of the compartment slid open, and in stepped a thin boy with pale blonde hair, followed by two boys who looked like thugs. They were already wearing their black Hogwarts robes. The blonde boy was also wearing a silver Prefect's badge and a disdainful expression.

"Had a nice summer Potter?" The boy said nastily "The Dark Lord keeping you on your toes is he? I see you're still hanging around with Weasley and his Mudblood girlfriend…"

At this Ron raised his wand angrily to hex Malfoy, but Hermione held his arm back.

"…and who's this?" Malfoy suddenly noticed Cassie sitting in the corner of the compartment. His eyes flicked over her appraisingly, taking in her long dark hair and generous curves. He smiled, and Harry could practically see him moving into Smarm Mode.

"Allow me to introduce myself – Draco Malfoy,"

"I'm sorry," said Cassie, leaning forward

"Draco Malfoy," he repeated

"Oh no, I heard you, I'm just sorry," Cassie replied, smiling sweetly.

Malfoy's smile disintegrated. "And what did you say your name was?"

"I didn't," said Cassandra "well, it was nice meeting you and your…henchmen," she added, looking at Crabbe and Goyle "have a nice life." With this she turned to Hermione, and said, "I can't believe you've never read _Pride and Prejudice_. I'll have to lend it to you,"

Malfoy was speechless – he couldn't believe Cassie had just switched him off like that. Harry and Ron were trying not to laugh. Suddenly Cassie looked back up at Malfoy.

"Are you still here?" she asked with a politely puzzled smile. Malfoy scowled and snapped his fingers at Crabbe and Goyle. They left without saying anything.

"I can't believe you said that! Did you see Malfoy's face?" Ron said excitedly

"Did he actually snap his fingers at them?" Cassie asked incredulously, still watching the door.

"What was all that about his name?" Hermione asked "Have you heard of the Malfoys before?"

"Heard of him? I've never seen him before in my life. He was just so rude – I can't believe he made that "Mudblood" comment! Who says things like that?" Cassie hoped Hermione wouldn't notice that she hadn't actually answered the question. Thankfully, Harry changed the subject.

"Malfoy had a Prefect badge," he pointed out "How the hell did he pull that off?"

"Probably got his dad to buy it for him," Ron said

"Nope! He really is a Prefect. I was told in my letter," Hermione assured him grimly.

"Oh great!" Harry exclaimed, "He'll be even more insufferable than usual!"

"Yes, and I have to share a carriage with him when we get off the train!" Hermione groaned.

"Speaking of which…" Ron said, "we're nearly there. We should hurry up and get changed."

Ten minutes later, dressed in her new robes, Cassandra Jones stepped off the train onto the platform of Hogsmeade station.

~ ~ ~


End file.
